Football: Narbonne will go as far as Moten takes it in the City

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You can’t talk about Narbonne without mentioning the name Byron Moore, a highly touted senior safety who committed to USC. However, this team is far from a one-man show. In fact, if the Gauchos hope to make a difference in the City Section this coming season, plenty will depend on the play of Josh Moten.

All eyes were on the 6-foot-1 senior quarterback on Monday afternoon, Narbonne’s first official practice, and by most accounts he was sharp. It should be noted that Moten guided the Gauchos to a title in the Beverly Hills tournament over the summer and second-place finishes at Santa Fe Springs and Redondo.

‘Josh has been a starter here for three years and he understands this offense well,’’ Narbonne Coach Manuel Douglas said. ‘The thing that really amazes me about him is how much he’s improved since last year. He’s much more accurate and can make all the throws now. We’re going to open things up.’’

I’m willing to bet that news of a more balanced offense will spread quickly throughout the Los Angeles area, and perhaps cause some level of concern for some of the City’s front-runners, like Birmingham and Crenshaw. Narbonne could be poised to make a playoff run -- a deep run.

Division I scouts will be paying extra-close attention to Moten this year, that much is certain. He’s already received a scholarship offer from San Jose State and has been contacted by Pac-10 Conference programs such as Arizona and Washington. Even Purdue expressed interest recently.

‘Josh can play at the next level, I’m just not sure where he’s going to end up. Someone is going to get a good player though,’’ Douglas said. ‘He’s going to be the next big recruit we have here at Narbonne, just like Byron. Josh is that talented and I think he’s going to prove it to everyone out there.’’

‘But honestly, Josh isn’t worried about college, not right now. He’s preparing for what he hopes is a breakout season for Narbonne. Everyone around here is preparing. We’re focused. We want to make some noise in the City this year. We want to prove we can measure up with anyone out there.’’

-- Sean Ceglinsky